Parent criticizes book 'Fahrenheit 451 wants it removed from school.

[IChing]

Alton Berm, right, and his daughter, Diana, 15,
a sophomore at Caney Creek High School



Caney Creek High School dad is fired up because the Conroe Independent School District
uses the book "Fahrenheit 451" as classroom reading material.

Alton Verm, of Conroe, objects to the language and content in the book.
His 15-year-old daughter Diana, a CCHS sophomore, came to him Sept. 21
with her reservations about reading the book because of its language.

"The book had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said.
"It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ...
If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."

Alton Verm filed a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials"
Thursday with the district regarding "Fahrenheit 451,"
written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953.
He wants the district to remove the book from the curriculum.

"It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm,
adding that he had not read "Fahrenheit 451." "The words don't need to be brought out in class.
I want to get the book taken out of the class."

He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book:
discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, "dirty talk,"
references to the Bible and using God's name in vain.

He said the book's material goes against their religions beliefs.
The Verms go to Grand Parkway Church in Porter.

"We went them to go after God," said Glen Jalowy Jr., Grand Parkway Church youth minister.
"We encourage them that what you put in your mind and heart is what comes out."

Alton Verm said he doesn't understand how the district can punish students
for using bad language, yet require them to read a book with bad language as part of a class.

Diana Verm and another classmate decided to read an alternative book. They leave the classroom when the class reads or discusses "Fahrenheit 451," she said. The two students were given "Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn because it shares common themes with "Fahrenheit 451," said Chris Hines, CISD assistant superintendent for secondary education.

review of Ella Minnow Pea:

"Dunn obviously spent significant energy and creativity to write without certain letters,
and there are several nice turns of phrase in the book.
As a novel, though, Ella Minnow Pea reads like a literary StairMaster --
a decent workout, but don't expect to go anywhere."

- Mark Luce, San Francisco Chronicle

>>>snip
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17270600&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532215&rfi=6


We were reading 1984 at that age
and talk about the juicy parts

[ck4829]

1. Then urge YOUR kid not to read it

Don't impose your will upon everybody else.

[Beetwasher]

2. Oh, The Irony

*shakes head in disbelief*

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. Classic.

This is a joke, right?

I want a "Ban Fahrenheit 451!" t-shirt.

[Bonobo]

4. That's from the Onion, right. Please tell me it is!

[bowens43]

5. "It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people."

This blithering idiot thinks she has a right not to be offended?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. the Berms are fat, ugly, brain-dead idiots. Oops. I apologize

I did not mean to insult those who are obese or overweight, nor those whose physical attributes do not make the papers or magazines. However, any comment taken as an insult by fat, ugly, brain-dead idiots who wash the brains of their kids, then forget to rinse, yes, I am insulting you.

[IChing]

I'm glad some got the irony of this news story.

Yes it is real and not from the onion,

don't forget the Dad had not read the book either.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. These book banners have never read the books

I am so used to that it doesn't even strike me as odd anymore.

[Pacifist Patriot]

34. I'll be stunned to learn he CAN read.

[China_cat]

7. Good grief.

Oh well, we've had them go after The Wind in the Willows here because Mr. Mole smokes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Wait a minute here

His daughter was allowed to choose an alternative book to read and he is still upset? That's ridiculous.

[bperci108]

28. DING! DING! DING!....

...we have a winner!

You caught the real danger here, P2BL.

It isn't enough that he wants his child to be excused from having to actually think about reality, he want to keep everyone else's kid from doing the same.

That's the real danger from these twits.

I posted a comment on the source site, but I bet they won't approve it.

Look for one containing:

"First they burn books. Eventually they burn people." ;)

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. It is ironic

They complain about their kids being made to conform to someone else's values, then they expect other kids to be forced to conform to their values. It is positively mind-boggling :eyes:

[knitter4democracy]

37. That was my question.

I didn't want to read Salinger in my AP class when I was a senior (didn't want to read yet another male-centered book, in all honesty, but claimed it was about faith), so I got to read Tess of the d'Urbervilles instead. Much better--I loved it, had fun reading and writing my own paper while listening to the rest of the class talk about teen angst, etc.

I didn't take on the school because there was a book I didn't like--I just read another book. What's the problem?

Oh, and the teachers will make her read more. Trust me--I did it when I taught, and my teachers did it to me. Methinks, though, they should've answered with Animal Farm instead.

[Julius Civitatus]

45. The dumbass is confusing the novel with Michael Moore's movie

"Fahrenheit 9/11."

I'll bet money on it. This MORON thinks it's the work of Michael Moore.

[proud2BlibKansan]

56. LOL I wondered about that

[markbark]

9. More's the pity the Principle Caved....

If this guy had any balls at all, he would have told the "offended" parents "You know, you're right, your kids are too fragile to survive the public school experience. Perhaps it would be better for all of us if you home school them..... starting NOW.... Good Day."


--MAB

[Greeby]

11. He probably thought it was a prequel to Fahernheit 9/11

Dumb Christofascist :eyes:

[sinkingfeeling]

12. "The book had a bunch of very bad language in it". I would suggest

reading a book on grammar!

[Hav]

13. .

All copies should be burned.

[Jack Rabbit]

46. Now that's irony!!

Good one.

[IChing]

49. That was the obvious irony I saw ..he wants to ban a book

about a book that describes a society
where books are banned
and then burned if found.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. They'd probably consider "irony" filthy language.

And, "Book Burning" a Christian rite.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Pardon me, but Good God this is stupid

There are very few worthwhile pieces of modern literature that done use language like that or "worse".

We're talking about extremely mild profanity here. Ray Bradbury has never been known to pepper his characters' dialog with fucks and shits. My first inclination to the headline (and even about halfway into the story) was what is he talking about?

Stay away from the salsa, Mr. Verm. I'll bet your stomach couldn't take it.

[hfojvt]

40. see, your subject line took God's name in vain.

I wonder if mine does too :crazy:

I once donated a book "All Flesh is Grass" either to a Catholic school or to a religious friend. Then I noticed that the word "damn" was peppered throughout this excellent story. I called the person up to warn them, and they assured me that that was no big deal.

I remember as a kid trying to read the book (I think it was this book) "A hero ain't nothing but a sandwich" and being put off by all the cusswords. I also used to get more upset when my sister used the phrase "pi$$es me off". Ah, my salad days.

Somebody should tell this guy about the Bible - just a smattering 1) Lot's daughters get him drunk and have sex with him 2) Amnon rapes his half sister Tamar and his killed by her brother Absolom (who later tries to over-throw his father, even having sex with all of his concubines) but he is killed by Joab, after David ordered that he not be harmed 3) David, of course, is well known for having seen the ironically named Bathsheba taking a bath, starting an affair with her, first trying to get her husband to sleep with her so people will think it is his kid, and then arranging to have him killed in battle. 4) Joshua 6:21 "They devoted the city (of Jericho) to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it - men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys" 5) After the Lord killed two of another Tamar's husbands (one of them being the unfortunate Onan) she dressed up as a prostitute and got pregnant by her father-in-law Jacob. Etc., Etc.

[Jack Rabbit]

47. I have a taste for irony

It was no accident.

[hfojvt]

52. that should protect you from

anemia.

I figured it was deliberate. I wanted to make the point that I was raised to believe that "oh my God" was okay unlike, say "Goddammit!" but I got distracted by my pawns and decided to try for a pincer move with my knights and bishops instead. :silly:

[Jack Rabbit]

54. Interesting analogy.

I'll point this out to you if you're interested.

[Vexatious Ape]

16. Let's replace the offending book with

what else--The Left Behind series.

[hfojvt]

41. Yeah, there's no violence in that

:sarcasm:

[Elwood P Dowd]

17. Wasn't there an alternate version of that book

written just for schools and libraries?

[WolverineDG]

18. I love "critics" who haven't read the books

they want to ban.

What's ironic is that the main character sets down to memorizing a part of the Bible so that it is not lost. :crazy:

dg

[jane_pippin]

19. No, silly man. You don't celebrate Banned Book Week by banning books!

You celebrate it by reading them.

I love that in virtually every story I've read like this the person looking to ban the book in question has not read it. God forbid someone would challenge themselves with ideas, or attempt to learn something about the world at large, or try to experience a piece of artwork that might not fit in with their worldview. God forbid someone know that swears exist, or fucking happens to go on from time to time, or that people drink and do things that makes them a little darker than the pure driven snow. I hate this willful, stubborn, arrogant ignorance so much.

Oh, and if you want to know a little about Banned Book Week, (just ended September 30th), here's a link or two for you:

http://news.bookweb.org/4732.html

http://www.abffe.com/

[SaveElmer]

20. Mr. Verm...If you want to hide your kid from life...

Then I suggest you either home school or send her to some RW religous academy where such words and ideas will never touch her sensitive litte ears..

Don't expect the rest of society to cater to your desire to bury yours and your daughters head in the sand!

[Initech]

Bill Maher is right - Americans are dumber than anyone realizes.

God, what tools! Read the fucking book, it might, you know, open your minds to some new ideas.

[Bandit]

21. "they shouldn't have a book at all."

:shrug: Just what this country needs no books at all..

[Sequoia]

22. The article says the dad hadn't even read the book.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Of course he hasn't

Book banners rarely read the books they want banned.

[bmbmd]

48. Particularly if it is a book

about burning books.

[MaineYooper]

23. If you burn a book about burning books, do you get an irony wormhole?

Or ideally a local space-time implosion that would obliterate morons like these people?

[fasttense]

24. Alton Verm must be a firefighter

"A 1951 Ray Bradbury novel. Guy Montag is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. It is the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight or said collections that have been reported by informants. People in this society including Montag's wife are drugged into complacency and get their information from wall-length television screens. After Montag falls in love with book-hoarding Clarisse, he begins to read confiscated books. It is through this relationship that he begins to question the government's motives behind book-burning. Montag is soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing full well the consequences that he could face if captured."

Oh the irony of fat Alton's plan to get rid the world of all books with "bad language".

[valerief]

25. Irony aside, keep Alton away from the Foley IMs! n/t

[IChing]

26. Well, I think he should be considered as a nominee

as one of the top 10 conservative idiots list on DU this week

[wicket]

27. Won't someone please think of the children????

:sarcasm:

Give me a break, with all of the shit currently going on in the world, these idiots think the biggest threat is from a BOOK?!?! Are you effing kidding me???? :eyes:

[Downtown Hound]

29. How ironic

Isn't this the kind of nonsense that Bradbury was writing about?

[Swamp Rat]

30. The solution is to remove Alton Berm

I read "Fahrenheit 451" when I was 9 years old. Thank Zeus Alton Berm wasn't around then.

[anarch]

31. banning it is not enough...I say burn it.

I bet this guy is all about creationism, too. Better get rid of those dirty, unholy science books while he's at it.

I think I just gave up on the human race....

[genie_weenie]

35. Too bad a depiction of Muhammad isn't in Bradbury's classic

because then some members of the DU community would be clamoring for it to be banned and The Verm would be victorious.

[BlueEyedSon]

36. More morans, makin' sure their kids are morans too.

[ComerPerro]

38. I love how RW Christians get books banned for various reasons

and then the Right Wing turns around and blames it on "PC" and the left...

[knitter4democracy]

39. Sounds like book bonfire time this Weds. night at his church.

Sheesh! If that's the book he's complaining about, I hope his daughter doesn't take AP English, what with Toni Morrison, George Orwell, and Shakespeare on the usual reading lists. I had parents complain about Song of Solomon--and I agreed. It had been assigned as summer reading before I'd been hired, and I agreed that it shouldn't have been summer reading. It should've been in-class reading. So there. ;)

[onethatcares]

42. unbelievable,

I can't imagine anyone being that stewpid. Better toss out, Gone with the Wind, anything by Hemmingway, Salinger,Southern, Mitchner. Does this guy ever go anywhere? Maybe he should get a copy of "supersize me" and have his daughter watch that.

[Jed Dilligan]

43. Being drunk, violence, dirty talk...

Which books of the Old Testament does he want to burn as well?

[Alcibiades]

44. Why doesn't he demand they remove the BIBLE?

All that sex, the slaughter of innocents, the entire world flooded, the clearly demonic imagery in Revelations, drunkenness, and even dancing. Historically, it has also been shown to be far, far more likely to inspire people to do bad things than Fahrenheit 451.

Oh, he hasn't read Farenheit 451? There's a shocker. TV Guide is probably too intellectual for this guy. Pinheads who want to ban books should have their citizenship revoked.

[jmowreader]

50. We need a Constitutional amendment...

Amendment 55: Any person wishing to have a book removed from a public school curriculum must first read the entire book.

The most humorous part of the whole thing, DUers have already discussed: This is a book about people who do the same thing Mr. Berm is attempting.

[The Stranger]

51. A new army of morons, the proles, who imprison the intelligentsia.

And seduce the feeble minded with notions of religion.

[dapper]

53. Sex is in the dictionary

and we had a good deal of fun looking up words in the dictionary when I was in elemetary school (5th ? 6th ? grade) I think I made it through okay. I'm not too disfunctional :-)

Dap

[Jim Warren]

55. Verm's 15 seconds of fame

Verm became distracted and attentionally deficit for the full 15 minute version.

[Blue_Tires]

57. maybe he could have a chat with

that parent in colorado that wanted to (and was successful) in getting Doctor Faustus banned

[IChing]

58. Some quotes from the book I picked out

"With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers,
tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers
instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators,
the word `intellectual,' of course,
became the swear word it deserved to be.
You always dread the unfamiliar."

"Give the people contests they win by
remembering the words to more popular songs
or the names of state capitals
or how much corn Iowa grew last year.

Cram them full of non-combustible data,
chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed,
but absolutely 'brilliant' with information.

Then they'll feel they're thinking,
they'll get a sense of motion without moving
. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change.
Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with.
That way lies melancholy."


"The good writers touch life often.
The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her.
The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies."



FAHRENHEIT 451:
The temperature at which paper catches fire and burns.


And Finally for Verm our book banning daddy.

The magic is only in what books say,
how they stitched the patches of the universe
together into one garment for us.
Of course you couldn't know this
of course you still can't understand what
I mean when I say all this."


http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

[IChing]

59. I'm gonna send this story to Keith.

For one of his oddball segments.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

60. This person belongs in prison.

For the murder of I. Ronnie.

[IChing]

61. OK that took me a second.........LOL

good one.

[Leopolds Ghost]

62. In other news, a Georgia teacher fired for exposing students to NUDE ART

A sculpture in an art museum.

One of the students complained.

[Leopolds Ghost]

63. Oh, and GA Dept. of Ed will take up a petition to ban Harry Potter. nt